1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vehicular traffic signs, and more particularly to vehicular traffic signs having upstanding panels that are releasably mounted in a base.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Traffic signs are used for many different purposes, including providing printed information to motorists or simply for redirecting the flow of traffic. Typically, these signs consist of a base portion which is connected to an upstanding post and an information/directing panel attached to the post. These signs can be permanently mounted at one location or are designed to be free-standing portable signs which can be used to direct traffic at one particular site and subsequently moved and used at another site. These portable signs are often used to direct traffic at sites where road construction is taking place. It is very important, therefore, that the free-standing signs be capable of withstanding severe wind conditions so that they are not easily moved or blown over which would prevent the motorist from seeing the panel. In many cases, to prevent the movement of these signs, sandbags have been employed around the base of the traffic sign to provide stability.
One disadvantage of typical signs is that they are often made of metal which when exposed to the environment over long periods of time can cause the sign to rust and eventually break. Additionally, vehicles frequently hit these signs, resulting in damage to both the vehicle and the sign as the vehicle passes over the sign. Metal signs, in particular, are subject to severe damage since they are not very pliable and are easily deformed as the vehicle tire passes over them. Most signs also require various hand tools to put them together or to fix them after they are damaged, which makes initial assembly, installation and repairs both time-consuming and costly.
Various sign assemblies have been designed to overcome some of the disadvantages discussed above. One type of sign has a breakaway portion so that when the vehicle strikes the sign, one portion of the sign breaks away from a second base portion. This minimizes the damage to the vehicle since the vehicle does not run over a high-profile projection. A known sign of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,017. In this patent, a flexible but resilient panel is supported on a post. The post is detachably connected to a stabilizing base via a clamping device. In operation, when a vehicle strikes the sign assembly, the post breaks away from the base assembly and lies flat on the ground. The problem with this design is that part of the post is destroyed, and remounting the post requires turning the sign upside down. However, after a second occurrence, the post would have to be replaced. Additionally, when the post and panel assembly are lying on the ground, the tire of the vehicle may run over it. Since the post may lie between the ground and the panel, severe damage to the panel can still occur as the vehicle passes over and bends the panel. Furthermore, due to the supporting post structure, only one side of the panel is usable as a traffic directing device since the post would block the opposite surface on the back side of the panel.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,584 there is disclosed a breakaway highway guidepost. In this patent, the guidepost consists of a first post member which is anchored in the ground and has a ball-type surface extending above the ground, and a second post member (which extends above ground) and which has a socket at one end which is designed to receive the ball of the first post member creating a ball and socket arrangement. The ball and socket are secured together by blind rivets and a traffic directing panel is mounted to the second post member. Therefore, when a vehicle strikes the guidepost, the rivets break and the second post member rotates on the ball of the first post member until it strikes the ground. The disadvantages of this patent are that first of all it is not portable; secondly, when lying on the ground, the panel is still subject to damage by the vehicle tire; and thirdly, a rivet gun is required to insert the rivets into the guidepost during initial assembly or for field repairs.
Thus, in the current art of traffic directing signs, while breakaway signs are known, they are generally either not portable and/or are attached to a post which exposes the panel to potential damage if a vehicle tire were to pass over it. What the current art of traffic directing signs lacks is a portable free-standing sign which has a traffic directing panel that is releasably mounted in a base without requiring the use of a post to support the panel. Therefore, when the panel is struck by a vehicle, it will lie flat on the ground and will not be subjected to damage as the vehicle tire passes over it. The current art of traffic directing signs further lacks a non-metallic sign which does not corrode and which is resilient and pliable so that neither the base nor the panel is subject to deformation as the vehicle tire passes over.